When one thinks about UFC lightweights fighting today, there are many different names that come up. Champion Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, Joe Lauzon, Gray Maynard and more.
One name that rarely gets mentioned nowadays is Evan Dunham.
Evan Dunham made his UFC debut at UFC 95. He had rattled off four straight wins before facing Sean Sherk. At this point, the hype train behind Dunham was massive. He was easily heading towards elite status in the lightweight division.
Here is where the first incident occurred.
Dunham lost a very controversial decision to Sherk that night and his hype took a big hit. Many thought he could get back on track with a win against Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight for the Troops 2. It just wasn’t Dunham‘s night, as he got TKO’ed by Guillard via knees and punches.
I believe this was the night when people, in a sense, swept Dunham under the carpet.
I didn’t here much about Dunham after that day, even when his next fight took place. Since his loss to Guillard, he has reeled off two consecutive victories over Shamar Bailey and Nik Lentz. Despite this, no one is talking much about Dunham. He has all the skills to be a top lightweight. He possesses slick boxing and holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
I’m not completely sure why no one is giving Dunham any credit right now. Maybe it’s because he needs to gain some more momentum or introduce himself to the casual fans. It might be because the UFC lightweight division is the most stacked right now.
I don’t believe Dunham is the most underrated lightweight in the UFC today, but he has to be pretty close. If he wins a few more fights and get’s that confidence he had early on back, Evan Dunham will be a force. He can resume his quest to become a lightweight elite with a convincing win over T.J. Grant at UFC 152.
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